Decking device



July 13 1926.

A. c'oPoNY DECKING DEVICE Filed March 17. M523 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 c 0 o 0 o IN VEN TOR.

WIT/VESSES.

Patented July 13,1925.

unir-ensfr-ars s Fureur l-forints.Y

DEGKING DEVICE. f

Application filed Marchi?, 1923. Serialy No. 625,785.

MyV improvements relate to the loading and decking of automobiles in freight cars and have for their. object not only the proper holding and se'curingroithe upper automobile inY its V.proper positiom but they also provideY means for simultaneously securing thelower machine in` place thereby saving the use 'of independent securing means for the lower machine and incidental materiallabor and Yfreight charges connected vtherewith. One Jormvof my device is designed to be made of lumber. in Vacheapva'nd eiiicient way while another form is designed 'to be made of metal and is of a oldable constructionrada'pted to be used repeatedly.

In the drawingsFig `l shows the cross section of :a freightfcar 'outlinechXwith my .woodendeckingdevice applied'to two auto mobiles therein,ili`ig.-,2shows a rough outline of part of alongitudinal section through a freight car with the front side of the car removedand mywooden decking devi-ce in pla-ce and .applied Ato two auto1nobiles,Fig. 3 shows the cross section of a freight car outlined, `withfmy metal deckingdevice applied to two automobiles therein, Fig. 4 shows a rough outline -opart o'la longitudinal sectionthrough adfreight zcar with-,thefr'ont side of the car removed and my metal-deckq ingdevice in `place and'applied to two automobiles therein,.Fig.-5 shows an end view ofmyinetal decking device on a larger scale, Fig. 6 shows aside vi-ewot mymetal deckingdevice, while-Fig.,7`shows a-top view Aof the same device.

The embodiment of my invention lis shown in'v connection with a railroad freight vcar youtlined in 29, ofusual construction as i'ar as the general structure Vof the car is concerned. 1 indicates the-.lower automobile to-.be fastenedfto Athe Vfloor, while 2shows thefoutline of the upper automobile to be supported YVabove the lower automobile' l. For thisl purposea wooden column4 is used cut square Aat its bottom edge-and bevelled at the top .to engage an .upper .hub supportingbracket. 5 which is fastened t-o column 4 by meanso nails driven through 4 and 5. Upper. hub supporting bracket 5 is vnotched out` as shown in Figs. l and 2,"to Yfit the hub 3 -of automobile A2. 'A wooden capping piece 27 fits over the top of hub 8 and can bersecured by nails'driven through 27 into Aupper hub'support bracket J5.' It

can be additionallysecured by .a tie strap of 1 steel 28. which extends from sideV to side of on Vboth sides. nailedinto'place at the head of upper hub support bracket 5 and to ,inany approved ma-nner.v The -lo-we'rendrof upper hub support bracket A5, over vcapping pie'ce'27. Brace arms 6 extend `from'theihead of upper hub. supporting bracket' 5 "diagonalvlytowards'theside of the railfwayca'rr 29 and can there be fastenedinany approved manner.A rThe :lower automobile is held Ain place by lower hub'pressure bracket 7 Y'fast'- ened 'on the inside-"face 'of column 4-by means'of nails dri-ven through V'4 and 7.V This *lower` `hub 'pressure bracketl 7 isA notched at its lower 'end toiit1the Lhub 3 ofslower :automobile l and is kept from-spreadingjby retainer 'piece 9 whichis cut-to Vitover the narrow sidesof lower hubpressure Cbracket 7 and'fastened to Vcolumn 4 'bymeans ornaiis driventhrough' 4 and 9. The-lower" end of column 4 can 'be "fastened 'to -the `floor or thelfreight car 29 Yby 'means' of angles-8 and nai' s.

In use, `automobile 2 islrtirstfraised into position by means of `chainial'lsL attached to the rootcarlins of the railway car.- Then short sections of old `innertubes or the like are applied to the Ahubs of both automobiles to..pre.ient `clra'iing.'` Then-fthelower automobiles is placed under the suspended upper automobile; Ilheieuponthe wooden column structurescomprising 4,25 and 7 are applied in such 'a manner thatl lower hub pressure bracket 7 engages -hub 3 L'of automob-ilefl, but'idue to the Iinflation-of ytireso'taut mobiley 1 the lower edgefolicol'ufn-in4-is not in Contact `withthe floor.- Then vupperflnib support bracket 5 is' f adjusted under hub '3 of automobile2- All four columnfstructures are temporarily applied ina similar manner'. Then'upper iautomobile" 2 is -lowloosely in .place the-'upper automobile can v'be swayed and twisted "1n such la manner f-that the columns stand lver-ticalv and clearthe fenders of the lower automobile l equally Then side brace Larms' 6 are the-side of car 29 column4 is thenhsefcured: bye-angles-*S to the `floor vothecar 29. Thenret-a'iner pieces 9 are putA in place to f grip'theflower edges of hub pressure bracket 7l and nailed-to col` unm 4. Finally capping piece 2T is placed on top of hub 3 of automobile 2 nailed direct to upper hub supporting bracket 5 and furthermore secured additionally by means of straps 28.

My steel decking device shown in Figs. 3. 4, 5, 6 and 7, is designed on the same principle but ditlerent structural elements are used as will be seen in the drawings.

Pipe column 10 is secured atits upper end by means oi adjusting holes 19 and bolts 1S to upper hub support bracket 11 which has an otset recess 12 to t hub 3 of automobile 2. A recess ller 13 is secured by means ot bolt 17 to 11. This bolt 17 connects also with swivel ,joints 1l which in turn connect with side brace arms terminating in shoes 1G which are provided ith nail holes to permit nailing them to the side of railway car 29. A rubber hose 20 is provided on column 10 to eliminate chaiing the fenders of lower automobile 1 when the structure is put in position. The lower end of pipe column 10 terminates in lower hub pressure bracket equipped with an oiliset keyhole shaped recess 21 that permits easy adjustment over hub 3 oit' automobile 1. The bottom end of lower hub pressure bracket 25 terminates in a point or knife edge which enters the wooden floor of railway car 29 when weight of upper automobile 2 is applied. Base clamps 23 are riveted to lower hub pressure bracket 25, Figs. 5, 6 and '7, or floor angles 2l, Figs. 3 and 4. of a similar' structure as those shown at S in Figs. l and 2. By using a keyhole recess 21 in my steel structure I achieve the same results as those attained by lower hub pressure bracket T and retainer piece 9 ot' my Wooden structure shown in Figs. 1 and In this structure upper hub support bracket 11 is adjustable in height on column 10 by means of holes 19 and bolts 18 and lower hub pressure bracket 25 is adjustable to different sized wheels by means ot bolts 30 and holes 31.

The application orn my metal decking device to automobiles 1 and 2 is identical to the method of application set forth in describing my wooden decking device.

From the general principles involving my structures it will be seen that the static load comprising the weight of the upper automobile is directly transmitted by means ot' columns placed in a vertical plane direct to the floor and Jfurther, the dynamic stresses occasioned by shunting shocks while car is in transit are taken up in full measure by the side braces to the railway car side for the upper automobile 2 while smaller additional dynamic stresses are transmitted through the column from the lower automobile 1 to the side braces of my structure and to the tloor ot' the car. Additional strength is lent my steel structure by base clamps 23 which serve the two fold purpose of fastening the bottom of my structure to the floor and further take up part of the dynamic stresses originating in the lower automobile which are transmitted through the hub of the lower automobile to the floor of the car by means otl the base clamps 23.

In case the wheel base of the upper automobile is longer or shorter than the wheel base of the lower automobile my steel structure will not be affected, the only dill'erence being, that the column while still in a vertical plane will be inclined to their base in that plane.

A further way of adapting my metal structure for dili'erent wheel bases of automobiles to be decked, would be, to offset the lower hub pressure bracket forward or backward of a plane laid through opposing columns and thereby meet the requirements of such dillerence in wheel base and still retain vertical columns. The wooden structure can be adapted to this condition by cutting the lower edge of the column on a bevel to meet this premise. All my structures can be used in connection with upper automobiles the wheels of which were removed in order to accommodate very low freight cars.

The devices shown being illustrative of their character, it is to be understood that variations other than those shown are included in the scope and within the principle ot my invention.

Having described my invention. what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. ln an automobile loading device for freight cars, the combination of supporting means for an upper and lower automobile, means for utilizing the weight oi the upper automobile to engage said supporting means by penetration with the floor of said freight car7 and clamping means on said supporting means to prevent disengagement of said supporting means from said floor of said freight car.

2. In combination with a freight car, vertical columnar supporting means spaced ii'rom the car wall but close to and parallel to an automobile, for vertically supporting an automobile above another, means for engaging said lower and upper automobile by means ot axle stub or hub to said vertical supporting means.` and triangular bracing means to transmit dynamic shocks originat` ing in said upper and lower automobile to the side walls of said freight car.

In combination with a freight car, oll'set vertical columnar supporting means spaced from the car wall but close to and parallel to an automobile for vertically supporting said automobile above another, means for engaging said lower and upper automobile by means of axle stub or hub to said vertical supporting means, and triangular bracing means to transmit dynamic shock originating in said upper and lower automobile to the side walls of said freight car.

l. ln combination with a freight car, olfset Vertical columnar adjustable supporting means spaced from the car wall but close to and parallel to an automobile, for vertically supporting said automobile above another, means for engaging said upper and lowerl automobile by means of axle stub or hub to said supporting means, triangular bracing means to transmit dynamic shocks origihating in said upper and lower automobile to the side walls of said freight car, and bracing means to transmit dynamic shocks of said' upper and lower automobile to the floor of said freight car.

5. ln combination with a freight car, for eccentrically supporting the tially vertical planes parallel to the axis of a freight car, means for transmitting a portion of said weight of said upper automobile to a lower automobile, means for engaging said lower automobile to said supporting means of said upper automobile and trian guiar bracing means to transmit dynamic shocks originating in said upper automobile and said lower automobile to the s'de walls of said freight car.

il. ln combination with a freight car, means for eccentrically supporting the weight of an upper automobile in substantially Vertical planes, means for transmitting a portion of said wei'ht of said Lipper automobile to a lower automobile, means for engaging said lower automobile to said supporting means of said upper automobile, triangular bracing means to transmit dynamic shocks originating in said upper and lower automobile to the side walls of said freight car and means to transmit dynamic shocks originating in the lower automobile to the floor of said freight car.

7. In combination with av freight car, means for adjustably and vertically supporting the. weight of an automobile in a substantially vertical plane, said means for transmitting said weight of said automobile to the floor of said freight car, means to engage said weight transmitting means with and into said floor of said freight car by .means of said weight of said automobile.

8., ln combination with a freight car, means for adjust-ably supporting the weight of an automobile in a substantially vertical plane, means for transmitting said weight of said automobile to the :door of said freight car, means to engage said weight transmitting means with and into said door of said freight car by means of said weight of said automobile and additional securing means attached to said weight transmitting means to prevent disengagement of said weight transmitting means from said lioor of said freight car, while said freight car is in transit.

9. In combination with a freight car, means for adjustably and vertically supporting the. weight of an upper automobile in substantially vertical planes, means for adjustably transmitting part of said weight of said upper automobile to a lower automobile, means to engage said weight transmitting means with and into said floor of said freight car by means of part of said weight of said upper automobile and additional securing means attached to said weight transmitting means to prevent disengagement of said weight transmitting means from said floor of said freight car, while said freight car is in transit.

ALFRED COPONY. 

